Mod Vibes @ Ghim Moh
This BTO apartment got a Mid Century Modern make over, taking inspiration from apartments found in Norther Europe. Not the typical clean lines and cold austere aesthetic, but a warm and cozy home that oozes personality with an eye for detail.
Design areas: Living and Dining Room, Kitchen, Master Bedroom with En-Suite, Guest Rooms and Common Bathroom | Project completed: 2019 | Renovation budget: SGD65,000 – SGD70,000 | Designer: Arjan Nijen Twilhaar
Originating in the fifties, Mid Century Design still incorporates traditional architectural details; albeit more streamlined and understated. For this BTO apartment, we took inspiration from vibrant Scandinavian cities with a relaxed and homey feel. With a large open plan living room, we proposed to add a foyer as a transition space between the outside and the apartment. This also helps to separate a more functional tiled floor and the vinyl floor that is used throughout the rest of the home.
Upon entering the home, an integrated cabinet that functions as shoe storage. Instead of making it a cabinet, the door is lined with a mirror and is framed to give an integrated appearance. The floor is lined with custom cut tiles and laid in herringbone pavers. From the foyer, you enter the living room through a cased opening or enter the kitchen through mild steel pocketed glass doors.
The living room design is kept to a minimum. Walnut vinyl flooring is laid with a perimeter border to add an extra layer of texture. The custom skirting boards were specifically designed for this project and have a clean chamfered edge. On the ceiling, the perimeter border is reflected with a single step down layer – another subtle contemporary design detail to add to the overall aesthetics. Furniture mostly was purchased at West Elm and imported, as the owners had an overseas stint.
Continuing the walnut flooring, in the kitchen we used a more practical tile that pairs nicely with the white laminate shaker cabinets. Hand-pressed subway tile give a soft texture, yet keeping the look clean-lined. Clean cut quartz countertops finish the look. As the yard was annexed to the kitchen, special bifold doors hide the washer and dryer for a seamless and integrated look.
For the master bedroom the colour choices were a bit softer, which pairs nicely with the slim framed wardrobe doors in a walnut laminate. This mid century design carpentry adds just enough detail to bring out the homey feel. Raw brass handles complete the look.
The bathrooms are kept clean and monochrome. Playing with different wall tiles – adding a marble pattern to the shower stall and clean white tiles for the rest of the walls. These are paired with dark grey floor tiles and the vanity is done in a wood tone to soften the austere look. For the common bathroom, we picked a similar style.